DailyTransfer

Mercato Barça: Xavi has decided for Raphinha

19/05/23 11:03 by Fabien Borne

Author of an interesting first season at Barça, Raphinha should not be transferred during the next summer mercato. Xavi Hernandez wants to keep him anyway.

The name of Raphinha often comes up in the Catalan press when talking about the Barça players that could be sold this summer to replenish the club's coffers. The Brazilian winger, who had a difficult start to the season under his new colors, has recovered well since (10 goals and 12 assists) and has greatly contributed to the conquest of the 27th Spanish championship of the club blaugrana.

So much so that Xavi Hernandez is absolutely counting on him next season and has made it known to his president Joan Laporta, according to AS. The Barcelona coach has had meetings in recent days with Laporta and Deco, future sporting director of Barça, who is currently ... the agent of Raphinha. A proximity that also plays in favor of a continuity of Raphinha in Barça.

Selling Raphinha, not so interesting economically for Barça

It would indeed be very bad if the new sporting director of the club sells one of his former players upon arrival and receives a commission on it. Even though Deco will have to stop working as an agent to start his mission as Barça's sporting director, a sale of Raphinha this summer would be suspicious and ethically reprehensible.

AS also explains that Raphinha's amortization is still very high and that even a transfer this summer for almost 80 million euros would not be that interesting for the Catalan club's accounts, unlike, for example, a sale of Ansu Fati, trained at the club, or Franck Kessié, who arrived free last summer. Moreover, the physical fragility of Ousmane Dembélé would also push Xavi to want to keep Raphinha, a player he considers efficient and important on the right wing.

Finally, Raphinha has publicly repeated his desire to win many more titles with Barça and does not consider a departure this summer. If a rebound is never excluded when talking about Laporta's Barça, the tendency is well to a second season of the former Rennes at Barcelona.

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